We are taking our first long weekend on United from LAX to Maui in March, plan to use our Akona bag for dive gear, and will be pissed if there is a $175 oversized fee. All of our earlier trips have been on either American (where I am a million-miler / lifetime gold) and Aloha (boy, do we miss them), and NEVER had an issue.
I have measured the empty bag a couple of times, and it comes VERY CLOSE to the 62" limit. Depending on how it is packed (2 sets of gear), and the ticket agent measurement, it could go over.
From what I have read, United is one of the stricter airlines in this regard, and the ~$200 RT bargain disappears quickly with $350 in oversized baggage fees.
Coincidentially, UPS to Maui is also $175, so that is not an option.
Any recent, specific experiences to share?